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Solomon Islands (H4) patria k entitám DXCC , s ktorými sa stretnúť na pásmach nie je každodennou záležitosťou. Podľa aktuálnych dát Club Log zaujímajú 84. miesto v zozname Most Wanted – výsledok kombinácie geografickej odľahlosti a obmedzenej amatérskej aktivity z tohto súostrovia. Pre stovky európskych staníc ide o chýbajúce ATNO, IOTA alebo otvorený pásmový slot.
The good news is that Bernhard, DL2GAC, regularly returns there and his operation under the call sign H44MS is one of the most reliable sources of connections with the Solomon Islands. Compared to large group DXpeditions that come to H4 sporadically and briefly, Bernhard's long-term stay offers the advantage of regular daily operation and sufficient time for most interested parties to make connections on multiple bands.
Analýza pásmových slotov z Club Log (stav 23. 9. 2026, ADIF číslo 185) ukazuje konkrétny obraz aktivity: pásmo 60 metrov nemá zaznamenanú žiadnu aktivitu v CW ani SSB, zatiaľ čo dátové sloty (FT8 /digitál) sú obsadené na všetkých pásmach od 160 do 6 metrov . Graf QSO aktivity od roku 2007 zachytáva výrazné špičky okolo rokov 2012–2013 a 2022–2023 – v obidvoch prípadoch ide o obdobia väčších DXpedícií. V rokoch 2020–2021 aktivita takmer vymizla, čo zodpovedá celosvetovému obmedzeniu cestovania. Najaktívnejší rok z grafu je 2022–2023, keď počet QSO presiahol 40 000 za rok.
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Previous expeditions H44MS
Bernhard's visits to the Solomon Islands date back deep into the 1990s. The first mention in ARRL bulletins dates from 1995, when he announced operations from Rennell Island (IOTA OC-127) as H44MS. In 1997 he reappeared with plans to activate additional IOTA groups including OC-158 and OC-168. In 2012 he announced operations from Honiara (Guadalcanal, OC-047) from October 18 to December 9 with short trips to several IOTA groups. In August 2019 he worked together with DL2GMI (H44MI) from Guadalcanal on the bands 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, and 6 meters in SSB, RTTY, and FT8 modes.
April 2023 brought another extensive expedition from Malaita (OC-047) – Bernhard was QRV daily on bands 80 to 6 meters in SSB and FT8, and upon return uploaded the log to Club Log and logbook of the World. Autumn 2025 brought another stay in Malaita (OC-047) lasting from September 20 to November 25. From the statistics of Club Log (status September 23, 2026, data after noise management), it is clear that the data slots (FT8) are occupied on all major bands from 160 to 6 meters, and most of them have the last recorded contact from 2026. Bernhard's repeatedly visited QTH Malaita is located on an island of the same name northeast of Guadalcanal – it is one of the most densely populated islands of the archipelago with an active community life and limited infrastructure.
H44MS on 10m SSB
Expedition H44MS 2026–2027
Bernhard will be active as H44MS in two intervals: October 3 – November 20, 2026 and February 5 – May 4, 2027.
Operations take place daily, without a fixed schedule – typically according to propagation conditions and time. From the Solomon Islands (CQ zone 28, ITU zone 28, continent OC), the morning hours UTC are advantageous for European stations on higher bands (17-10 m) and late evening or night on 40 and 80 meters.
Solomon Islands
The Solomon Islands are an archipelago in the southwestern Pacific Ocean with more than 900 islands, of which only a few dozen are inhabited. It is located in Melanesia, northeast of Australia, at geographical coordinates of approximately 9.40° S and 160.00° E. The land area exceeds 28,000 km². The capital city, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal, which is also the IOTA group OC-047 along with the island of Malaita – Bernhard's most frequent operating location. The population is around 700,000; the official languages are English and Melanesian pidgin.
The island nature is exceptional: dense tropical rainforests, coral reefs, and mountains of volcanic origin. Climatically, it is a humid tropical environment with temperatures around 27–28 °C throughout the year. From the perspective of radio amateurs, the proximity to the equator and the nature of the propagation path to Europe is interesting – propagation occurs either via the Indian Ocean and the Middle East or via a long path. Conditions to Europe on the higher bands (17 and 15 m) are best during the morning hours UTC; on 40 meters and lower, late evening attempts are worthwhile. The Solomon Islands belong to CQ zone 28 and ITU zone 28, the ADIF entity number is 185, primary prefix H4.
Solomon Islands - natural environment
How to work with H44MS and how to request QSL
Prevádzka v SSB typicky prebieha split – pásmo sa sleduje na štandardných DX frekvenciách, pričom Bernhard typicky volá UP alebo UP 5. Európske stanice majú najväčšiu šancu počas ráno UTC na vyšších pásmach, keď je šírenie cez JA a VK smerom na západ priaznivé. Vzhľadom na jednooperátorský charakter prevádzky a každodennú aktivitu počas celého pobytu je šanca na úspešné QSO pri trpezlivom sledovaní clustra veľmi dobrá – to potvrdzuje aj celkový počet vyhľadaní značky H44MS na QRZ .com, ktorý k septembru 2026 prekročil 610 000.
QSL is sent via DL2GAC, bureau alebo direct. Log bude nahraný do Club Log a LoTW po návrate zo Šalamúnových ostrovov. Pre bureau žiadosť platí štandardný postup; pre direct QSL je potrebné priložiť dostatočné poštovné na spätnú odpoveď alebo IRC. Stránka H44MS na QRZ.com je spravovaná DL2GAC a obsahuje aktuálne informácie o prevádzke.
Statistical analysis from Club Log shows total activity from the Solomon Islands in the global log: the longest continuous activity in the SSB band of 80 meters was last recorded in 2024, on 160 meters in 2023. This data primarily reflects the activities of larger DXpeditions. Bernhard's long-term stays are a valuable addition in this context - they ensure continuity of activity even among large group expeditions and allow less active stations to earn band points that could not operate in the hectic pile-up during more intense DXpeditions.
Current status of activity H44MS can be monitored on the DX cluster and on the DL2GAC page on QRZ.com. To verify connections and the status of QSL services, use Club Log.